Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #93

Hula's love of hats started before she could even walk.  And apparantly, before she even owned a legitimate hat.

Hula-Gen Family Fun Fact #96

That's Mama J. in that picture, with her parents. 

I love how much they look like gangsters.  Possibly they do because Hubby's grandpa on the right there?  He ran moonshine, which would explain why he always had fast cars with big trunks and managed to earn a living despite his lackluster farming skills.

Hula-Gen Family Fun Fact # 29

Hubby isn't really a fan of fishing. In fact, he likes to say that the only fishin' and huntin' he does is in the bottom of a cooler. He says he doesn't like killing animals, which is true. But sometimes, I wonder if it's because he's scarred from a certain fishing experience with his Uncle Buddy.

I don't know what's scarier in this picture. Papa T.'s white buck shoes, Uncle Buddy's tennis shoes, Hubby's sandals or Sissy's hair rollers under that gosh awful rain bonnet. There is definitely some footwear tragedy going on in there. There are more fashion crimes in that picture than in Snooki's underwear drawer.

Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #3710

Hula's mother is quite the seamstress and made many of her children's outfits when the Hula-gen's were growing up, which came in very handy when Hula saw an outfit in a magazine or on TV that she wanted. But it also resulted in a few creations like this late 1970's beauty that Handy Man is stylin'.

The Hula-gen's learned early in life that wearing couture requires great personal bravery. After all, it takes a lot of confidence to wear red pearl snaps.

Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #78

Five pounds of Hula’s and Teen Angel’s respective weights can be directly linked to Amarino’s Parisian Gelato, which has not only ruined American ice cream for us forever, but has left Hula frantically searching the internet for just the right cantaloupe gelato recipe.

Think the neighbors will notice if Hula puts a goat in the backyard for the goat’s milk this recipe requires?

Hula-Gen Family Fun Fact #2034

In 1990 Hula and her Hubby honeymooned in Cancun, Mexico.  A large time was had by all.  In fact, Hula got second place in a rather crowded limbo contest.  It was a good thing she didn't win as first prize was a bottle of rum, and let's just say she didn't need any more of THAT.  There are no pictures or videos of that contest to share with you, and in this day and age of Facebook and social media, Hula says, "Whew!  Thank goodness."

Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #231

In 1979 the Hula-gen's had a family photo made, and Hula's hair was as wide as Oklahoma. Perhaps, that was because of her fear of having big ears, which seemed to run in the family.

Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #193

Hula's mother had a rather imprecise way of trimming Hula's bangs when Hula was a child. As in laying masking tape across the bangs and cutting off the tape.

Remind Hula to tell you one day about her mama's skills with the electric hair trimmers and the problems that caused for Super Cop and Handy Man.

Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #27

The biggest snowfall in Chicago’s history to date was 23 inches in January 1967. And Hula was there!


When I was but a wee lass we lived just outside of Joliet while daddy worked at an arsenal. That’s until mama got her fill of winter weather and said, “Move me back south.” To which I say, “Hallelujah!”

Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #82

Hula sometimes loves an icy cold soda early in the morning. As she's aged and her various body parts have started moving south she has switched from the fully load stuff to Coke Zero and only imbibes twice a week. But it's a relationship that started very early.

Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #329

In 1976, Hula joined the rest of the Franklin Lancer Band in numerous parades in celebrating this nation's bicentennial with homemade knickers, white stockings and tri-corner hats.




Because Hula's legs were too scrawny for the sexy twirler boots. Oh, and she couldn't twirl.

Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #81

Each year the Hula-gen's like to attend an adult costume party hosted by their friends, but as Teen Angel pointed out Saturday night my enthusiasm for the costume aspect of it is a little stronger than Hubby's.

Teen Angel wouldn't let me answer the door when the pizza man arrived Saturday, and Hubby volunteered to go into the convenience store to pay for the ice instead of letting me go in there. I think he was embarrassed by my um.....wig. For the record, I had a "large" time.

Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #972

Apparently, in the early 1960's it was the custom to use hypnotists during photo sessions as evidenced by this picture of Hubby's younger brother and sister (twins).

Oh, and Santa called. He wants his vest back.

Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #91

Hula's aversion to snakes started at a very early age, probably around 1967 when her grandpa killed this four foot long cottonmouth that climbed into his fishing boat. Shivvvvverrrrrr.......

I get the creepy crawlies just looking at this picture.

Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #961

Hula graduated from college with a minor in theater. In 1984, she played a prostitute in a college production of Death of A Salesman. She didn't have many lines, but she sure had a whoppin' good time wearing clothes from the 1940's.

In fact, if she had it, she'd wear this dress today. And maybe the hat.

Hula-gen Family Fun Fact #96

Teen Angel is really interested in going to culinary school after she graduates from high school. The cooking gene apparently took hold of her before she grew out of her sippie cup.

Hula-Gen Family Fun Fact #999

Mama J. hates for someone to sneak up on her; an issue that perhaps stems from her childhood trials and tribulations with ornery Cousin Edwin. Really ornery Cousin Edwin.

Family Fun Fact #47

Hula's love of hats began at a very early age.

And apparently, so did her habit of sticking her nose into things she shouldn't.

Family Fun Fact #291

When Hula was seven years old and SuperCop was about to turn two, the family dog had puppies. Thirteen puppies!! One was so small it was tragically squashed when there was no more room in the cardboard box in the basement where they were birthed. And then there were twelve puppies. Twelve Irish Setter puppies that Hula and SuperCop wanted to keep. Alas, they were sold to good families but forever memorialized in this Christmas photo from 1971, or as Hula likes to call it, the year of the Pretzel Pants. It was also the year Hula covered everything in large paper snowflakes.

*No animals were harmed in the making of this photo beside a cardboard fireplace.

Family Fun Fact #873

Hubby has a strong aversion to neckties and really short haircuts. From the looks of this photo of him and his three older brothers and sisters, I think I know why.

It also explains his hatred of sweater vests. Note the dog is even staring at him.